popular sentiment. >> you allow a utility responsible for the deaths of eight citizens, friends and family, to profit as a direct result of that tragedy. >> reporter: the consumerwatch dog group "turn" urged the puc not to let pg&e make any profit on the pipeline plans noting many of the required fixes are due to pg&e negligence but pg&e's spokesman said the company is paying for its mistakes. this money is for new improvements. >> what's important to know is that this funding was needed to meet new regulations. so these are regulations that were put in place after san bruno. any work that needs to be done to meet existing regulations has been and will continue to be paid for by our shareholders. >> reporter: she says pg&e is actually disappointed in the puc's decision because the utility had asked for about 60% more. pg&e had hoped to raise rates by about $2 a month. instead the puc approved an average 88 cents more next year and $1.36 in 2014 money that

will be used to prevent future disasters adding insult to injury for current victims. >> they are picking up as though nothing happened and business as usual. [ crying ] >> i'm very sorry. i'm just really emotional. >> reporter: the puc commissioners say they were trying to strike a balance between punishing pg&e for past mistakes and encouraging the company to invest in safety. on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. lawmakers are getting down to business on gun control in the wake of the connecticut school shooting. the gun violence task force headed by vice president joe biden met today for the first time to look for ways to prevent tragedies like the one in newtown. they will be look at firearms restrictions increasing mental health resources and the media's role in guns and violence. the president wants concrete proposals in time for his state of the union address next month. >> the president is absolutely committed to keeping his promise that we will act and we

will act in a way that is designed even if he says we could only save one life, we have to take action. >> san francisco mayor ed lee pushing for stronger regulations on certain types of ammunition. he is proposing a citywide ban on commercial sales of hollow point bullets. he also wants police notified when anyone in the city buys 500 or more rounds of ammunition at once. san francisco police also announced plans for another gun buyback event afternoon last weekend's huge successful one. but cbs 5 reporter mark sayre shows us it may be impossible to keep one a huge spike in gun sales. >> this hand guard is attached by -- >> reporter: here at the bay area gun vault in mountain view the owner says business has been brisk. >> one of the most popular sellers, the ar-15 semi- automatic rifle. >> well, uhm, the government is wanting to ban certain types of

rifles and they are very popular. and people have been caught on the fence of buying them are now pushed over to the edge where if i can't get them quick i will get them now. >> reporter: with fears of gun laws, gun owners an enthusiasts aren't taking chances. >> we have a ton of new buyers. people who never bought them before are getting one, may be the last chance. >> reporter: sam from sunnyvale says anytime something bad involving guns takes place, it often has negative effects on legal gun owners. >> is it going to be a rough road ahead? >> i think so. i think they should have some laws against it because you have some crazy people out there which screws it up for people like us that are normal. >> reporter: according to the fbi, inquiries to the national instant criminal background check system was at an all-time high this past november after president obama's re-election and with reports of brisk sales across the country now, it is possible december will be

another record month. >> we have plenty of laws in place to keep the guns out of criminals' hands. i think what needs to be made more focused is on a national level, how to secure these weapons so people can't get them. >> reporter: in addition to what's happening on the federal level here in california a group of state senators is also taking aim at ammunition. the proposal a $50 fee requiring a permit to purchase ammunition that would be good for a year and it would require a background check. reporting live in mountain view, i'm mark sayre, cbs 5. the grieving continued in newtown today with more services held for the sandy hook shooting victims. two 6-year-olds benjamin wheeler and catherine hubbard were laid to rest. family and friends also said good-bye to 52-year-old teacher ann marie murphy. more funerals are scheduled tomorrow and saturday. victims are being tonight in the bay area. ken bastida and mobile5 are at a candlelight vigil and toy donation drive getting under

way in san francisco. >> reporter: a lot of people have been trying to figure out what they can do, how to get personally involved, show compassion for the victims in newtown. so the cbs radio stations here in san francisco bay area have set up this toy drive tonight in conjunction with the san francisco fire department. they will be picking up toys, asking people to bring an unwrapped teddy bear or a great toy to give to needy kids here in the bay area and sort of pass the love along. and not only that but they are also expecting the san francisco bulls hockey team here tonight and the hockey team is going to be skating with 26 candles in memory of the victims and actually i'm here with erin, you're from newtown. >> born and raised. >> reporter: so what are the emotions like this week? >> uhm, it's overwhelming to be honest but i needed to come here tonight because it was -- felt right to be here to see everybody supporting our

amazing town and our community has been really pulling together and it felt right to be here tonight and i have all my family here tonight my sister is here tonight and from newtown and it feels good to be here and to see everybody supporting our town. it's an amazing place to grow up. >> reporter: welcome to san francisco. we're glad you're here. and any little way we can help out, just say the word. >> awesome, thank you so much. >> reporter: erin from newtown, connecticut. that's the story here. back to you guys in the studio. >> all right, ken and erin, thank you so much. more on the newtown tragedy and the gun control debate coming up on the "cbs evening news" and anytime at cbssf.com. checking bay area headlines, a san francisco firefighter is recovering from smoke inhalation suffered battling a two-alarm apartment building fire. 25 tenants of the complex in the 100-block of broad street were evacuated into the predawn cold this morning. the response forced delays on the m-oceanview muni line. no word on a cause. morgan hill police have

arrested a third suspect in the kidnapping of a handyman. richmond rodriguez, jr., turned himself in. police say rodriguez and two others beat up the handyman, forced him to fix disputed repairs at a relative's home. the handyman escaped. the three suspects now face charges of false imprisonment, kidnapping and assault. more than 5600 children were receive christmas presents thanks to today's toy giveaway at san jose's sacred heart community service. some of the parents waited in line all night in the frigid cold to pick out gifts. they were allowed to pick out three toys per child. some 17,000 toys and books were donated to make that event possible. that's not fair. they killed an innocent person. >> another life taken on a tough bay area boulevard. how neighbors are reacting to the death of a grandmother caught in the crossfire. >> and it is one of the most popular carmakers in the bay area. what the government says you need to know about toyotas in crashes. >> good news on the gas front.

why those lower prices at the pump may be around for a while. ,,,,,,,,

the shooting death of a man in the parking lot of a hayward apartment complex put two schools on lockdown. the man was killed about 10:30 this morning at the complex on sleepy hollow avenue near aldon gateway. there are no suspects about investigators are examining that silver jeep. south gate elementary school and martin luther king, jr. middle school were temporarily locked down immediately after that shooting. a grandmother is killed by a stray bullet walking to a neighborhood store. the bullet came from a gun battle near the corner of 97nd and international boulevard in east oakland. cbs 5 reporter da lin tells us it happened half a block from another high-profile murder. >> reporter: that gun battle happened across the street right there in front of that store between two groups of people. the clerk tells me she heard

about eight shots and one of those shots struck a killed the grandmother who was walking on this side of international boulevard. reporter: the 49-year-old grandmother collapsed in front of a city run preschool head start. no kids were inside the building since the gun battle happened right before 7 p.m. last night. >> they killed an innocent person. i mean, it's retarded. >> reporter: the killing reignited anger among neighbors. it's the second high-profile killing on this block in two months. less than 50 feet away was where someone robbed and killed a popular business owner inside this metro pcs in october. last night's shooting killed ramona foreman, better known as mona. >> she was outrageous courageous person that do anything for you. loving, caring. >> reporter: the victim lived at this house a few blocks away from the crime scene. friends say she was walking to a store when the stray bullet killed her. >> this is a woman laying on

ice in coroner's office and her grandkids will not see her again and her kids is not gonna see her again. >> reporter: homicide detectives are reviewing footage taken from these two surveillance cameras mounted at the head start building. >> vehicles leaving after a crime arriving before a crime, giving us some general descriptions of individuals that are involved in crime. we believe that videocameras in this case may help us as well. >> reporter: as a family friend honors the victims over the small makeshift memorial, please try to reassure neighbors by stepping up police presence along international boulevard. this is the 124th homicide victim of the year. no arrests in the case. live in oakland, da lin, cbs 5. gassing up not so painful lately. what driving down gas prices and why they could even go lower. >> it's the human that has to work the technology to make sure that we don't leave our

tools inside of patients. >> and surgical instruments left inside patients? how technology is being used to stop those mistakes.

challenges tonight after tw its most popular vehicles received poor ratings on crh tests. safety experts say the cam's ar off, the airbags did not deploy.

and the prius -v- hybrid wan di - it toyota received poor ratings on crash test. the camry's steering was pushed so far off the air bag didn't deploy. and the prius v hybrid wagon didn't perform any better and earned a poor rating. honda accord sedan and suzuki got "good" in the crash test. tough to fill up the tank and we have seen this for weeks and we could see it for months. gas prices have fallen hovering about 3.50 average statewide. that's 25 cents less than last month. cbs 5 reporter don ford tells us the lower gas prices is a trend that could go into the new year. >> reporter: gas prices have been going down and folks like mike certainly noticed. >> i used to fill this car 65, $70 before. now it's 45. >> reporter: here at the am/pm in concord it's down to $3.15 a gallon. little cars, big trucks, and

little trucks too, all squeezing to get every drip they can get. folks are lined up because they remember the big spike this prices just a couple of months ago when at some places it was over $5 a gallon. experts say at the time, it was due to refinery explosions and power outages. aaa's spokesman says it's not really a drop but a return to normal. >> what's happened is gas prices have started to settle from the volatility that we saw from all the refineries issues in august, september and october. >> reporter: folks coming in to get the cheaper gas say the price drop couldn't have come at a better time. >> we are going to be able to buy more presents for the kids. >> that's a good price. >> fill up and still shop. >> reporter: energy experts say enjoy the prices while you can. >> the best guess is we'll see gasoline prices stay about where they are through january and february. then when we get into march of course we start switching over to the summer blend of

gasoline. and when that happens, we sometimes get another price spike. >> reporter: in concord, don ford, cbs 5. before that the rain is coming to town! >> here we go. >> the rain will precede santa claus. just make it hard but santa always arise, doesn't he? you will see a change toward christmas. but the next couple of days for all you stragglers who waited to do the shopping until now you will pay the price and need an umbrella. cbs 5 hi-def doppler now tracking rain in extreme northern marin, northern sonoma toward clearlake healdsburg and almost to santa rosa. here comes the rain and the rain is not going to let up for 3 1/2 days. preceding the rain, cloud cover. it got cloudy and breezy today. wind gusts to 30 miles per hour. livermore currently 54. concord 54. san jose 55. santa rosa 53. good news won't be as cold tonight because of that blanket of cloud cover. good news also if you are a skier. it may be tough getting up to tahoe this weekend as snow levels rise to 7,000 feet.

but check out the snow. 12 to 36 -- one to three feet of new snowfall especially in the ski resorts above 7,000 feet in elevation, a little windy, too. wind gusts 45 miles per hour on i-80 and highway 50. winter begins tomorrow. 3:12 a.m. but the winter weather is just about here and the first couple of days of winter will be very wet. look at this huge storm. it's center due west of vancouver british columbia. but we have a cold front the first of about 3 that are going to move through. the first one will get here tonight. that will increase the rain also increase the wind. you're under a wind advisory at the coast and for the city of san francisco. we'll be wet and windy on friday especially friday afternoon. there is another one on saturday. there's another one on sunday. so shopping and travel over the holiday weekend will be poor because we are going to have a lot of rainfall around. our computers predicting how much rain will fall between now and tomorrow afternoon. it's a lot. inch and a half for san francisco and fairfield, nearly an inch for concord. so we'll get wet starting tonight and we'll stay wet for

a while. so the rain is here by the morning commute tomorrow. rain on friday. rain on saturday. rain on sunday. but skies are going to clear for santa claus. the only mainly dry day will be christmas day and will be cleared out by christmas eve afternoon. highs tomorrow 57 for oakland. concord 53. san jose 54. wet in palo alto. pleasant hill and fairfield 53. low 50s for san rafael and santa rosa. here's your extended forecast. we are wet friday, saturday, sunday and monday morning but clearing out christmas eve night. christmas day, we're dry before showers return on wednesday and thursday. time to toss it over to roberta. paul, we are on our final few days for "food for bay area families" right here at cbs 5. tonight, our check presentation involves one of our youngest but one of our most important people donating and her name is sydney lohr 10 years old. i just have to say first off i

have heard your story. you are my hero! tell me how usual making a contribution to "food for bay area families." >> well, for my tenth birthday, i donated money for the alameda county food bank by asking my friends to bring checks instead of presents. >> reporter: they didn't give you any presents? they just came with check in hand and gave it to you? >> yeah. >> reporter: what made you think of such an idea? >> well, my parents were talking one night about how some families don't have enough food to eat and i thought that was really sad. so... >> reporter: i'm glad that you have such a big heart. let me see this big check that you want to contribute to the alameda county food bank. >> it is -- $400! all from sydney loura from danville! we thank you. mike is here from the alameda county food bank. how many families will this feed? >> this will feed actually provided about 1,000 meals with this check. >> 1,000 meals!

how does that make you feel? >> that makes me feel really good that 1,000 meals are going to be donated. >> reporter: can i give you a big hug? >> yeah! >> aww. >> reporter: if you want to help out, all you have to do is visit us online at cbssf.com/food. we'll be right back. alerts" for the elderly.,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the c-h-p unveiling the pro we have amber alerts for missing children. now there are silver alerts for the elderly. the chp unveiled the program to find missing dementia and alzheimer's patients. starting next month families can get immediate help from law enforcement without waiting 24 hours. one big difference though, no alerts on highway signs. >> the overhead freeway signs won't be activated. additionally, there won't be necessarily a break in broadcasting programming on television. that kind of has to be determined by the tv station.

>> california will join 30 other states that already have the programming. it may be one of the last complications we would fear from surgery but the problem of surgical objects left in patients is so bad, three california hospitals were cited today for leaving tools behind. dr. kim mulvihill reports. >> reporter: soon after this woman had a hysterectomy she had pain and a fever. the culprit? two surgical sponges left inside her body. >> it was a mistake. >> reporter: each year there are hundreds of cases where surgical items are mistakenly left inside patients. most of them gauze sponges. >> i think it happens every day somewhere in the world. probably every other day somewhere in the united states. i know we can do better. >> reporter: general surgeon dr. verna gibbs runs a project called no thing left behind. >> the goal is zero, not 50%

reduction, not just do a little better. zero retained surgical sponges for at least a year. >> reporter: some hospitals have gone high-tech to help keep track. with the rf assure detection system, each sponge has a radiofrequency chip. doctors wave a wand and the system alerts if it picks up a signal. while the new technology is useful dr. gibbs says it's not a substitute for counting every sponge used during surgery. >> one sponge goes in every holder. everybody can see. so now we want to teach nobody can leave the operating room if there's an empty pocket. >> reporter: diligence is essential in the operating room. >> it's the humans that have to work the technology or work with each other to make sure that we don't leave our tools inside of patients. >> reporter: she needed a second surgery to remove the sponges. >> i was lucky because i went -- i did everything promptly. >> reporter: quick action was

key. waiting longer could have caused serious complications. there are hospitals that have never had a retained sponge in years and others where it happens every quarter. dr. gibbs says it has to do with communications and culture in the operating room and that has to change to make things safer. dr. kim mulvihill, cbs 5. members of congress put aside partisan differences today to honor the late senator daniel inouye. today his body lay in state at the u.s. capital rotunda. a highly decorated world war ii veteran inouye represented hawaii since it became a state in 1959. he served nine terms in the u.s. senate. inouye died monday at the age of 88. now here at channel 5, we're remembering a legend of our own. ben williams became the first african-american tv reporter in the bay area when he started at kpix in 1966. his 25-year award winning career in television was spent entirely here at channel 5. ben williams passed away in past monday at the age of 85.

he is survived by his wife of 59 years, vivian, a son, daughter and two grandchildren. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

at the state capitol. but en though they have little experience here's what we're working on for the 6:00 news. they are the newest lawmakers at the state capital but even though they have little experience they will have prime leadership posts. the proof there is power in money and how that could affect all of us.

and the doomsdayers say this is your last night on earth. tonight cbs 5 reporter mike sugerman checks in when the world should have already ended if we make it. tonight at 6:00. >> is that eastern time? >> we have rain tomorrow. >> yeah. well, maybe. maybe. [ laughter ] >> i don't know. captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com snowstorm in the heart er america makes pre-holiday ghavel dangerous. hundreds of flights will be canceled on the busiest travel eyy of the season. dean reynolds is there. hopes are fading for the president's christmas wish-- a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. nancy cordes on capitol hill. a new study says a drug taken by millions to prevent heart attack and stroke doesn't work and has serious side effects. dr. jon lapook has details. and remembering dawn hochsprung who gave her life to save children at the it sandy hook y ementary school, the kind of principal every kid would love.